Stressed out

First there was the hullabaloo about when this baby would evacuate my uterus (she showed up 13 days late). Then there was the breastfeeding drama which affected me in ways I could not imagine.

At different points, her napping schedule or complete lack thereof made me certain I would lose my mind. And now that she’s crawling, every time she falls or bumps into something I’m terrified that I have, at last, broken the baby.

While these are the concerns that fill my day, reading about ONE’s Thrive: Food. Farming. Future. campaign over at Michelle Twin Mum’s blog Mummy from the Heart reminded me that they are minute.

I’m worried about whether Talitha has eaten enough after a meal where there seems to be more food on the high chair, floor and in her hair than was actually consumed. Right now, food is mainly about play.

There are mothers in the world’s poorest nations who worry about whether they will have enough food to feed their children at all.

I don’t know if they get stressed about their children’s naps but my heart aches for any mother who is forced to raise her child with the question of starvation always at the back of her mind.

This is why I’ve decided to lend my voice to the Thrive campaign which aims to see 15 million fewer children malnourished and 50 million people lifted out of extreme poverty by 2015.

Please join me by signing the petition on ONE.org telling G8 leaders “It’s time to break the vicious cycle of hunger and poverty.” You could also write a blog post or Facebook status or tweet about the campaign with the hashtag #LetsThrive to spread the word.